Pocono Township supervisors meeting ends in swearing

Thursday

Jan 24, 2013 at 12:01 AM

In a meeting that descended into and ended with swearing and name-calling, Pocono Township supervisors said they'd "take it under advisement" about whether they would reconsider a controversial vote that elevated a supervisor to a paid municipal position.

MICHAEL SADOWSKI

In a meeting that descended into and ended with swearing and name-calling, Pocono Township supervisors said they'd "take it under advisement" about whether they would reconsider a controversial vote that elevated a supervisor to a paid municipal position.

Despite numerous overtures from some of the 200 people crammed into the township's meeting room and into its hallway Wednesday night, the supervisors took no such vote, leaving Supervisor Henry Bengel as the township's director of public works.

Supervisor Frank Hess said the supervisors could possibly reconsider the vote at the next meeting on Feb. 4, but made no guarantees.

At a Jan. 7 meeting, Bengel and Hess voted Bengel into his new position, in essence firing Supervisor Harold Werkheiser from the position that paid him about $52,000 a year.

Hess said the supervisors' hands are tied to try and work it out because lawyers have become involved in the process.

After 90 minutes of public comment — or public outcry depending on who was speaking — the supervisors hastily ended the meeting when some members of the audience began cursing at each other over the debate.

The cursing started when someone in the audience criticized Bengel's daughter, who had come to the meeting to tearfully support her father.

Those who spoke out against Bengel's new position complained of a breach of trust, since Bengel said while he was campaigning for supervisor that he wasn't interested in a full-time township job.

"Either you were rather pompous and didn't care about what would happen," one township resident said, "or you weren't smart enough to see what would. But if you do this in front of us, what are you doing behind us?"

Bengel did have supporters at the meeting who asked to give him time in the position to see if it can work despite his lack of experience in the field of mechanics and roadwork.

"The job isn't brain surgery," said township resident Bob Felins. "And when you're on a nine-, 10-, 11-person crew, someone does need to be at the desk, not in the truck."

Bengel has asked for $72,000 (without benefits), but the salary hasn't been approved yet. He said Wednesday that he was prepared to cut that salary request to $56,000, again without benefits.

Some saw the move as a personal issue, as Bengel and Werkheiser have publicly sparred for the last few months. Both Bengel and Hess said the battles have been even more intense in private.

Bengel reiterated that the move had nothing to do with a personality conflict.